Refrigerator



(No Model.)` 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. G. IVIALGOLM.` RBERIGBRATQR.

No. 505,114. Patented sept. 19, 189s.

Witnsses; 0 j.. flare/zia! (N M d 1.) 4 A o o e YJ. G. 4 Sheets Sheet 4 REPRIGERATOR.

No. 505,114. Patented Sept. 19, 1893.

"E i l. s

Nrrsn STATES- PATENT Fries.

JAMES GEORGE MALCOLM, OF TORONTO, CANADA.

REFRIGERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 505,114, dated September 19, 1893..

Application led November 18, 1892. Serial No. 452,461. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, JAMES GEORGE MAL- COLM, manufacturer, of the city of Toronto, in the county of York and Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerators; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to certain improvements in refrigerators and has for its object to provide a refrigerator of an improved construction whereby certain important advan tages of simplicity, durability and economy of construction and operation are attained, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

The novel features of my invention will be carefully defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which serve to illustrate my invention-Figure 1 is a perspective view of the refrigerator, certain portions of the walls thereof being broken away in order to show the construction within. Fig.

2 is a vertical sectional elevation taken along line a-,a in Fig. l, and Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view taken'at right angles to Fig. 2 or along line b-b in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan taken in the plane indicated by line c-c in Fig. l, and Fig. 5 is a similar view taken along line cl-d in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view to be hereinafter re ferred to.

In the views A, A, represent the side or end walls of the refrigerator, B the back wall and C the front wall, each of which is composed of an inner and an outer sheathing suitably studded and braced, between which sheathings is comprised inclosed dead air spaces as clearly seen in the drawings. The roof of my improved refrigerator is also composed of an outer or upper sheathing or roof proper G and an inner sheathing or ceiling F, between which is inclosed an air space E, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3.

Extending across the interior of the refrigerator from the front wall C to the back wall B thereof are two beams W, W, one near each of the side walls A, said beams being each adapted to receive and support the ends of a series of joists I, I. These beams W and joists I support the ice pan J, and separate the interior of the refrigerator into an upper or ice chamber and a lower or cooling chamber O,

for the reception of the substances to be stored, the walls of the refrigerator being provided with suitable doors to afford access. The ice pan J is of galvanized iron or similar material, and is provided with a series of V-shaped corrugations or channels j extending parallel to and arranged between the joists l, as seen in Figs. 3 and 6, this latter view being a detail of this part. The iiattened portions of the ice pan between such corrugations are arranged on andfit neatly over the upper surfaces of the joists I, as seen in the drawings, and to secure said pan in placeI provide strips ,c' of hard wood preferably covered with galvanized iron arranged on the iiattened portions of the pan and held in place by nailing through to the joists below. These strips i are rounded on their upper sides and are of a width greater than that of the flattened portions of the ice pan, whereby the water The lowery edges of this lining M restsy upon the edge of the ice pan J, as seen in Fig. 3, and said edge of the ice panis pro-l vided with an upturned edge, iiange or rim p l j outside said lining,for purposes to be shortly explained. A slatted or perforated `door Ix is arranged in the ice chamber over the pan J, in order that said pan may not be dam` aged by the falling of the ice thereon, said iioor resting on the strips t', as seen in Figs. 2 and 3.

As stated, the roof of my improved refrigerator is double being formed with an inclosed air space E, and its inner sheathing F, which forms the ceiling of the ice chamber is formed in two halves or sections, separated bya transverse central slit or aperture H, said sections being inclined slightly from the front and back walls toward the said central aperature I-I, as seen in Fig. 3 and at their inner or adjacent ends these halves or sections of theh IOO ceiling F are secured to the outer roof G by transverse strips 71, h, arranged on opposite sides of the central aperture H, and forming the vertical walls of a passage-way communicating with the interior of the refrigerator through slit H and with the outer air through a series of openings h', h', in the outer or upper roof G, as seen in Fig. 3.

As stated, the lining M of the ice chamber and the inner sheathing of the refrigerator walls, form the walls of an air space, communicating between said ice chamber and the` cooling chamber, and in the construction of my improved refrigerator I utilize this air space to establish proper circulation ofthe warm and cooled air between the cooling chamberand theice chamber, asI will now describe. In said air space I arrange at suitable intervals along the sides of the same, vertical partitionsP, extending from the bottom to the top thereof, thus forming a series of vertical flues,

L and P. Across the upper portions of each of the tlues L I arrange a second horizontal partition N, whereby thesame is closed at its upper end and in order to provide inlets to said Iiu'es L which I willnow call the cold air tlues, I lprovide openings K, K, in the lining M, of the ice chamber, which openings are covered by inwardly inclined slats K', to prevent the escape of water or ice into said'ilues L. Thus it' willbe seen that vthe airin the iceV chamber becoming cooled, falls by gravity through' the tlues L into the cooling chamber O, and becoming warmed by absorption of heatl from they substances stored therein, passes up through the open-topped fines P; to the upper part of the ice chamber. As above stated, the edges of the ice pan J are provided with an up'turned iiange j, which is arranged by:

preference just outside the lining M of the ice chamber. This rim or flange performs a double function serving not only to 'retain any water'which may drip from the slats K but also in case of the choking up of the outlets of the ice pan, to holdwater to a sufficient depth to permit the water to How over the parting strips t into the next of the channels j to the one which has become choked, when such water will pass off through the discharge opening of that channel.

In vorder'to maintain a circulation of air through the air space E in the roof, I have provided the ceiling F withl two series of openings f covered with wire gauze or simi-y lar perforated material, one series of openings being in the nature of inlets and ar ranged above the open mouths of dues P andthe other series being arranged along the inner ends ofthe sections of the ceiling adjacent to the aperture H.

,K In order to provide for the admission of air to the interior vof the refrigerator, I have arranged a series of inlets 'Q covered with gratingsorgauze in the upper portions ofthe side walls above' the ice chamber, whereby air may be'admitted from theroom in which the refrigerator is located, and in order to effect It has been found by experience in the conl struction of refrigerators that where a descending and ascending current of air are ernployed to effect cooling, a bed of heavy air collects at the bottom of the cooling chamber vand cannot be dislodged by ordinary means. This heavyair remaining for a considerable ktime unchanged becomes foul and impure by -the'absorption of the odors arising from articles placedon storage in the ref rigerator. In

order to dislodge this air and to cause a free circulation of fresh air through every part of the cooling chamber I have provided a series of'narrow dues D, arranged in the dead` air space inclosed betweeny the inner Land outer sheathings of the walls of the refrigerator. These flues communicate at their lower ends :with the bottom of the cooling chamber'near ythe iioor thereof, and at their upper ends with the upper portions of the ice chamber near the roof of the refrigerator. The cold air `lues L'are as seen in thel drawings consider- :ably larger in section than the warm air flues P and` consequently the descent of a' large volume of cold air will cause the air at the floor of the cooling chamber to enter the flues D, where being in a position less protected from the inliuenceofthe heat of the room an upwarddraft is generated and such heavy air is drawn upjsaid fluesinto the upper por-` tion of' the ice, chamber,

In order toconvey the Water away from the ice'pan J as it collects therein "I haveprovided each of thechannels j at one end with a dependinglipjX which lips are arranged over and adapted to empty into an open 'trough T extending along one side of the cooling compartment and having 'a discharge spout V leading down through the dead air space to the base of the refrigerator Vfrom which point connection may be inadewith a sewer.

To prevent the dripping'of the water which may condense on the under side of the ice pan down into the cooling vchamber,which has heretofore been a source of considerable trouble, I have arranged under each of the' channelsj a shallow VV-'shaped wooden trough S, lined with galvanized iron or the like, which troughs S are valso open to the trough T, and serve as drains for any water which might votherwise drip from theangle of the channely from condensation or incase said angle should,

crack or rust.

Great trouble has arisen in other constructions of refrigerators owing to the condensal IOC IIO

tion of Water on the beams and joists which support the ice pan, said beams, &c;, becoming mildewed and in time rotting away. To obviate this defect I have provided the beams W with a series of notches w one on each side of each of the joists I, in the an gle formed with said joist by the V-shaped portions of the` ice pan J. These notches form vents communicating with the air space inclosed between the lining M and the inner sheathing of the refrigerator and the warm moist air which may collect under the ice pan in the space inclosed by said beams and joists is thereby withdrawn and kept in circulation.

In order to provide means for preventing the fouling of the cooling chamber of the refrigerator by drippings from the articles which are preserved in brine, tbc., I have provided means whereby the barrel or tank containing such articles may be readily withdrawn from the cooling chamber without the necessity of opening the main doors and exposing the interior to the Warm air of the room. This means comprises, as seen at the left in Fig. 4, two arms Z, pivoted at 2 inside the cooling chamber and on the side of the door opposite to the hinge pivot thereof. These arms are connected 'respectively with theupper and lower ends of a tank or barrel which by this arrangement may be swung completely out of the cooling chamber when the door is open;

At the right hand side of Fig. 4 I have shwn a modified form of this device wherein a shelf 4 is secured to the door and is provided on its inner end with a caster 6 rolling on the iioor of the cooling chamber. By this arrangement a barrel may be set up on the shelf and withdrawn from the cooling chamber by opening the door.

In order to take the strain off the hinges of the door I have provided the same'with a second caster 7 adapted to roll on the iioor of the room whereby the same is supported when opened.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a refrigerator, the combination with the body having a cooling chamber and an ice chamber and having a series of flues com? municating between said ice chamber and cooling chamber, said body being also pro vided with an air space included between the inner and outer sheathings of its walls, said airspace being closed to both said ice chamber and cooling chamber, of a series of flues D, arranged in said air space, said iiues having their lower ends opening into the lower portion of the cooling chamber and their upper ends opening into the upper portion of said ice chamber, substantially as set forth.

2. In a refrigerator, the combination with a body having an ice chamber and a cooling chamber, of a perforated lining arranged in said ice-chamber and forming the Walls thereof, vertical studs arranged between the walls of the refrigerator and of the ice chamber on opposite sides of the perforation in the walls of the ice chamber whereby a vertical cold air flue is formed communicating between said ice chamber and the cooling chamber, a partition arranged across saidflue above the perforation in the wallof the ice chamber, and a series of vertical flues D, extending from the upper portion of the ice chamber to the lower portion of the cooling chamber, substantially as set forth.

3. In a refrigerator, the combination with the body, of the joists dividing said body into a cooling chamber and an ice chamber, warm and cold air flues communicating between. said ice chamber and cooling chamber, anice pan mounted on said joists and having channels arranged between the same, a series of strips secured to said joists over said ice pan, said strips having a width greater than the thickness of the joists and means for carrying the Water away from said channels, substantially as set forth.

4. In a refrigerator, the combination with the body, of the beams arranged across the same, the joists resting at their ends on said beams, whereby the interior cf `the body is dil vided into an ice chamber andacooling chamber, warm and cold air iiues communicating between said ice chamber and cooling cham ber, an ice pan mounted on said joists and adapted to receive and discharge the water from the ice in the ice chamber, and a series of vents formed through the upper portions of said beams adjacent to the under-side of the ice pan, substantially as set forth.

5. A refrigerator having a roof composed of inner and outer sheathings separated by an airspace said sheathings being'provided with coinciding apertures extending transversely of the refrigerator, in combination with two strips arranged in the air space between the sheathings on opposite sides of said coinciding transverse apertures, substantially as set forth.

6. In a refrigerator, the combination with the body having an ice chamber and a cooling chamber, of a perforated lining arranged in said'ice chamber and forming the walls thereof, vertical studs arranged between. the walls of the refrigerator and of the ice chamber on opposite sides of the perforation in the walls of the ice chamber whereby a vertical cold air flue is formed communicating between said ice chamber and the cooling chamber, and a partition arranged across said flue above the perforation in the wall of the ice chamber, substantially as set forth.

7. In a refrigerator, the combination with the body having an ice chamber and a cooling chamber, of a perforated lining arranged in said ice 'chamber and forming the walls thereof, a series of vertical studs arranged between the walls of said refrigerator and `of i said ice chamber, whereby vertical flues are formed which communicate between the upper portions of the ice chamber and of the IOO vIIC) cooling chamber, the perforations in the walls of the ice chamber being arranged to open into alternate flues of said series whereby cold air Iiues are formed, and partitions arranged across said cold air flues above the perforation in the walls of theice chamber, substantially as set forth.

8. In a refrigerator, the combination with the body,of thejoists dividing said bodyinto a cooling chamber and an ice chamber, warm and cold air fines communicating between said chambers, an ice pan mounted on said joists and having channels arranged between the same, a, series of strips secured to said joists over said ice pan, a perforated floor arranged in said ice chamber and resting on said strips, and means for carrying away the water from said channels, substantially as setforth.

9. In a, refrigerator, the combination with the body having an ice chamber and a cooling chamber, an ice pan arranged in the ice chamber and adapted to discharge its water outside the refrigerator, a perforated lining arranged in said ice chamber and forming the walls thereof, vertical studs arranged between the walls of the refrigerator and of the ice chamber on opposite sides of the perforation, in the wall of the ice chamber whereby a Vertical cold air flue is formed communicating between said ice chamber and cooling chamber, a partition arranged across said -ue above thevperforation in the wall of the ice chamber, a series of inwardly inclined slats arrangedacross the perforation in the wall of the ice chamber, and an upturned rim or fiangeformed about the edges of the ice pan outside said Walls of the ice chamber, substantially as set forth.

Sharon, October 18, 1892.

JAMES GEORGE MALCOLM. In presence of- A. W. WILLIAMS, W.v O. LEsLIE. 

